1/13/25 - 1/19/25

* I want to apologize for the large number of action items below. In my defense: Republicans are trying to do terrible things.

* The computer situation means everything currently takes 3-4x as long. This is mostly last Friday's post. I am doing what I can, but I'm bailing a sinking boat.

I do have the schedule for the coming week's senate committee hearings on Cabinet nominees up on my computer and will try to do up an action item post for them.

The ones that had hearings last week are still relevant, as most of them still need a full Senate vote.

* This is not all the news, obviously, but it is the best I can do under the circumstances.

* "Resources for helping Gaza, Sudan and Congo:" https://www.tumblr.com/swallowedabug/758070860436439040?source=share

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* "Israel faces mounting pressure over detention of Gaza hospital chief: Aid groups raised concerns over the safety of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was detained after a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza.:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-detention-kamal-adwan-hospital-raid-doctor-abu-safiya-gaza-rcna186224

******

* "Israel approves Gaza ceasefire, carries out more attacks:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-cabinet-approves-gaza-ceasefire-accord-due-take-effect-sunday-2025-01-17/

* "What do we know about the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in Gaza?:" https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/15/what-do-we-know-about-the-israel-gaza-ceasefire-deal

* "Ceasefire brings hope in Gaza; freed Israeli hostages reunited with mothers:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-ceasefire-hostage-release-set-begin-2025-01-19/

******

* "300 North Korean troops have been killed in Ukraine, South Korea says:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korean-soldiers-captured-ukraine-exchange-killed-war-russia-rcna187349

******

* "U.S. declares genocide in Sudan:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/07/nx-s1-5251335/u-s-declares-genocide-in-sudan

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* "A far-right party elected a lesbian candidate while rejecting her family’s legitimacy in Germany:" https://www.advocate.com/world/alice-weidel-lesbian-afd-germany

* This is a disgrace. "Exclusive: The Ghosts of Grenfell - No penalties for UK firms that used deadly building material:" https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/ghosts-grenfell-no-penalties-uk-firms-that-used-deadly-building-material-2025-01-06/

* "Biden removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism: It was one of a number of olive branches Biden is extending to Havana in the final days of his presidency.:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/14/cuba-removed-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-list-00198204

* "U.S. tightens its grip on AI chip flows around the world:" https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/us-tightens-grip-ai-chip-flows-globe-rcna187366

* I haven’t been following Canadian politics as closely as I used to. This isn’t representing an opinion one way or another from me. I have concerns as a relatively low information non-Canadian. I am posting it as it constitutes information. "Mark Carney - Canada Not Interested in Trump’s Offer & Liberal Leadership Prospects | The Daily Show:"

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* "WATCH: Biden’s final speech from the White House warns of an ultra-wealthy oligarchy that could threaten democracy:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-bidens-final-speech-from-the-white-house-warns-of-an-ultra-wealthy-oligarchy-that-could-threaten-democracy

* "5 key takeaways from President Joe Biden's farewell speech:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/five-takeaways-biden-farewell

* "Biden channels Bernie Sanders in farewell address warning about oligarchy:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/biden-channels-bernie-sanders-in-farewell-address-warning-about-oligarchy-229692485655

* "In exit address, Biden offers dire warning about threats to democracy :" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/in-exit-address-biden-offers-dire-warning-about-threats-to-democracy-229449797630

* Reminder: He tried to cancel all student debt, but Republicans stopped him. "Biden cancels student loans for 150,000 more borrowers:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-cancels-student-loan-another-150000-borrowers-rcna187453

* "Biden shortens sentences for nearly 2,500 people, setting a record:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/17/g-s1-41788/biden-pardons-commutations-drug-sentences

* "Health and Human Services takes stand against nonconsensual intersex surgeries:" https://www.advocate.com/health/hhs-first-intersex-report

* "Tulsa race massacre survivors praise DOJ investigation revealing 'truth' but disappointed no charges recommended:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tulsa-race-massacre-probe-finds-1921-horror-coordinated/story?id=117581090

* "Karine Jean-Pierre gives emotional final White House Press Briefing:" https://www.advocate.com/news/karine-jean-pierre-final-briefing

* It's complicated. Some of it is still up in the air. A lot depends on what happens after the 20th.
"Supreme Court upholds ban on TikTok, ruling against a freedom of speech argument:" https://www.advocate.com/business/tiktok-scotus-ban

* "Health and Human Services takes stand against nonconsensual intersex surgeries:" https://www.semafor.com/article/01/14/2025/china-reportedly-mulls-tiktok-sale-elon-musk

* "Supreme Court will decide if insurance companies must cover PrEP for HIV prevention, cancer screenings:" https://www.advocate.com/news/supreme-court-prep-case

* "A looming 'demographic cliff': Fewer college students and ultimately fewer graduates:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/08/nx-s1-5246200/demographic-cliff-fewer-college-students-mean-fewer-graduates

* It is unfortunate that more people voted for tax cuts for the rich than voted against it last November.
"U.S. Billionaire Wealth Is Up 88% Since the Pandemic—Now Topping $5.5 Trillion: Can we please just tax the rich?:" https://inthesetimes.com/article/billionaire-wealth-up-88-percent-pandemic

* "Gay business owners brace for Donald Trump’s return to Washington, D.C.:" https://www.advocate.com/business/gay-dc-business-owners-trump

* "Johnson confirms ‘discussions’ on tying wildfire aid to debt limit:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/13/congress/johnson-wildfire-california-debt-limit-00197900

Never once have Democrats made aid to red states conditional.

Reminder: California pays dramatically more into the Federal Government than they ever get back.

* "Republicans move to repeal law that saves older Americans billions in health care costs: Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Scott Perry is cosponsoring a bill to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.:" https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/republicans-health-care-costs-inflation-reduction-act-repeal-scott-perry/

* They are coming for your health care and the planet so they can do tax cuts for a handful of billionaires and deport your neighbors, citizen or not and build their stupid wall. "House GOP puts Medicaid, ACA, climate measures on chopping block:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/10/spending-cuts-house-gop-reconciliation-medicaid-00197541

* "Jeffries slams GOP ‘scheme’: They’re ‘not serious’ about lowering grocery costs:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/jeffries-slams-gop-scheme-they-re-not-serious-about-lowering-grocery-costs-229320773631

* "Johnson swaps out House Intel chair for Trump loyalist, raising national security concerns:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/johnson-swaps-out-house-intel-chair-for-trump-loyalist-raising-national-security-concerns-229558853881

* "U.S. House approves legislation to deport undocumented immigrants charged with minor crimes:" https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/07/congress-bill-deportation-undocumented-crimes/

"Charged with" means that police can arrest anyone brown and get them deported without due process. Just getting arrested for any reason no matter how bullshit is enough.

The states suing the Feds part is expensive and dangerous.

This is scary police state stuff.

"Even though studies show that recent immigrants in the United States commit crimes at a lower rate than U.S.-born citizens, Riley’s murder became a rallying cry for conservative lawmakers to adopt stricter immigration laws."

* "Legal expert says the bipartisan Laken Riley Act is unjust, wasteful and a Trojan horse:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/11/nx-s1-5254134/legal-expert-says-the-bipartisan-laken-riley-act-is-unjust-wasteful-and-a-trojan-horse

It is going to the Senate now.

Please contact your senate critters.

For Democrats, I suggest targeting the racial profiling/due process angle and the sue the Feds if any immigrant does a crime ever angle., but you know your critters better than I do, so if you can tailor to their interests, do.

Anyone have suggestions for Republican critters? Write it up in the reblog so I can publicize it.

* ( Last Week's cabinet of Deplorable Action Items: )

* "Senate Republicans deflect Democrats’ tough Pete Hegseth questions by making transgender people a joke:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/pete-hegseth-senate-confirmation

* "Hegseth squirms as Democrats hammer poor character, weak qualifications to be defense secretary:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/hegseth-squirms-as-democrats-hammer-poor-character-weak-qualifications-to-be-defense-secretary-229334597757

* "'You’re not qualified': Hegseth stumped by ‘101-level’ military questions:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-you-re-not-qualified-hegseth-stumped-by-101-level-military-questions-229315653656

* "Pam Bondi promises to 'respect the law' on marriage equality in Senate confirmation hearing:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/pam-bondi-senate-hearing-ag

Do Not Believe her. She's also entirely against free and fair elections and is expected to use her position as attorney general to persecute people Trump doesn't like, ending prosecutorial independence.

* "Trump’s Billionaire Treasury Pick Stresses Importance of Tax Cuts for Billionaires: Scott Bessent outlined his plan to enrich the rich and screw the poor during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-nominee-tax-cuts-rich-1235238195/

* "Scott Bessent, Trump’s gay treasury secretary nominee, to divest from vast $700 million portfolio:" https://www.advocate.com/news/scott-bessent-divests-portfolio

* I don't directly link the NYT lightly, but this is important enough and as of Monday night, this was the only reputable(ish) source I could find. "Group of Experts Says R.F.K. Jr. Would ‘Significantly Undermine’ Public Health:" https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/13/us/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jr-public-health-secretary.html

* Reminder: He deliberately killed hundreds of kids in Samoa by persuading their parents not to save their lives by vaccinating them. "RFK Jr. Tried to Kill the Covid Vaccine When It Was Needed Most: Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services petitioned the FDA over the shot that saved thousands of lives:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/rfk-jr-tried-kill-covid-vaccine-1235240065/

* "Can trans rights survive in a Republican-controlled Congress?:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/can-trans-rights-survive-in-a-republican-controlled-congress

* "Senate to vote on Tommy Tuberville's anti-trans athlete bill:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/senate-vote-anti-transgender-sports

* "GOP trans sports bill exposes children to genital inspections by sexual predators, Democrats warn:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/gop-trans-bill-genital-inspections

The goal is to allow any adult who wants to forcibly inspect the genitals of children as young five to molest them in the name of keeping them safe.

This looks like CSA to me, not safety.

* "House passes bill banning trans women and girls from school sports:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/house-vote-transgender-sports-ban

* "These two Texas Democrats were the only ones in their party to vote for the House's anti-trans sports bill:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/democrats-supported-anti-transgender-sports-bill

* "Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Sarah McBride a 'child predator' and 'liar' in latest anti-transgender rant:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/mtg-transphobia-sarah-mcbride

Reminder: Marjorie Taylor Greene just voted to allow forcible genital inspections by any adult who wants to. Sarah McBride voted against the Republican bill to legalize CSA.

Which of these is the actual danger to children?

* "Jasmine Crockett’s office condemns Nancy Mace ‘threatening physical violence’ during House hearing:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/crockett-spokesperson-mace-physical-violence

*****
* Our job for the next two years is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.

Please add more below if you have them.

Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide.  https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1

* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share

* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

* How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf

* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely

Avoiding Activist Burnout: https://www.tumblr.com/veluigi/771755723969478656/on-twitter-im-seeing-dozens-of-threads-from-black?source=share

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* "Despite Trump's win, 'election integrity' activists still seek sweeping voting changes:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/13/nx-s1-5254181/election-integrity-policy-save-act-cleta-mitchell

* "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints Ashley Moody as Marco Rubio's replacement in the Senate:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ashley-moody-florida-senate

* "Arienne Childrey on becoming Ohio's first trans city council member:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/arienne-childrey-transgender-ohio

* "Adult trans bathroom ban heard in Montana — first anti-trans hearing of 2025:" https://www.advocate.com/news/montana-adult-bathroom-ban-transgender

If you deny people safe access to public bathrooms you are banning them from existing in public. Things like jobs, schools, shopping, and public events all become impossible if you can only be out of your home as long as your bladder can stand it,

* "New Jersey Democratic state Sen. Paul Sarlo calls trans women men and advocates for sports ban:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/nj-democrat-paul-sarlo-transphobia

* "Virginia lawmakers pass marriage equality, abortion & voting protections:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality-amendment-virginia

* "Democrats pass bill to protect trans people from “harassment and harm”: It was written to help trans people and domestic abuse survivors in Illinois.:" https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/01/democrats-pass-bill-to-protect-trans-people-from-harassment-and-harm/

* "Rudy Giuliani settles dispute with Georgia election workers over ownership of his assets:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trial-over-rudy-giulianis-florida-home-is-delayed-due-to-the-former-nyc-mayors-unexplained-absence

* "Bezos’ Washington Post Rips Up Mission Statement Amid Staff Rebellion:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/wapo-plans-new-mission-statement-after-staffers-beg-jeff-bezos-for-meeting/

* "Will Lewis' first year at 'Washington Post': Cancellations, red ink and an exodus:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/nx-s1-5258221/washington-post-will-lewis-jeff-bezos-year-one

* "What to know about executive orders as Trump prepares to take office:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/what-are-executive-orders-trump

* "Days before Trump takes office, thousands of protestors march in Washington, D.C.:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/days-before-trump-takes-office-thousands-of-protestors-march-in-washington-d-c

* "Maddow: Trump team's bad faith changes political calculus of opposition:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/maddow-trump-team-s-bad-faith-changes-political-calculus-of-opposition-229668933510

* "Maddow: Trump agenda set to test morality of American public:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/maddow-trump-agenda-set-to-test-morality-of-american-public-229668933844

NOTE: I am moving the Trump section up the page for the next edition.

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* Half mast would be far more appropriate. "Trump flies US flag at full height before end of 30-day mourning period following Carter’s death:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-carter-flag-half-staff-mar-a-lago-c90e341b89615aef8817c6fc021a93b7

* "Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to attend Trump's inauguration:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-mark-zuckerberg-attend-trump-inauguration-rcna187642

* "The anti-LGBTQ+ clergy who'll be praying at Donald Trump's inauguration:" https://www.advocate.com/news/anti-lgbtq-clergy-trump-inauguration

* "Elon Musk says DOGE probably won't find $2 trillion in federal budget cuts:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-says-doge-probably-wont-find-2-trillion-federal-budget-cuts-rcna186924

* "Days from inauguration, Trump looks to walk back some campaign promises:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/days-from-inauguration-trump-looks-to-walk-back-some-campaign-promises-229219909510

* Pot Meet Kettle. ""A truly evil guy": Bannon bashes Musk as MAGA infighting continues:" https://www.salon.com/2025/01/12/a-truly-evil-guy-bannon-bashes-musk-as-maga-infighting-continues/

* Brace for a political purge of anyone competent and/or ethical. "Incoming Trump team questioning civil servants at NSC about their loyalty:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/incoming-trump-team-questioning-civil-servants-national-security-117615702

* I trust nothing they say. "Vance: Jan. 6 Rioters Who ‘Committed Violence’ Should Not Be Pardoned The vice president-elect left wiggle room, however, saying there is "a little bit of gray area there":" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/vance-jan-6-protesters-pardons-violence-1235232707/

* "Kara Swisher calls Mark Zuckerberg a 'small little creature with a shriveled soul':" https://www.advocate.com/news/kara-swisher-zuckerberg-shriveled-soul

* "Facebook Chooses Trump Over Truth:"

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* "Kushner’s Affinity Gets Additional $1.5 Billion From Qatar, Abu Dhabi’s Lunate:" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-20/jared-kushner-s-affinity-gets-1-5-billion-more-from-qatar-abu-dhabi-s-lunate?embedded-checkout=true

* "Trump Criminally Sentenced:"

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* "Special counsel Jack Smith resigns from DOJ:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/11/jack-smith-resigns-justice-department-trump-criminal-investigation-00197694

* "Judge Cannon paves the way for potential release of Part 1 of special counsel's report:" https://www.npr.org/2025/01/13/nx-s1-5258382/special-counsel-report-aileen-cannon-jack-smith

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* "Amazon removes 'equity for Black people' and 'LGBTQ+ rights' from company policies:" https://www.advocate.com/news/amazon-lgbtq-black-protections-removed

* CW: Sexual Harassment. "Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni (It Ends With Us):"

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I believe her.

* CW: Graphic descriptions of multiple Rapes, Child Abuse, I also consider this CSA, though others might disagree. It is far worse than even I expected."There Is No Safe Word How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades.:" https://www.vulture.com/article/neil-gaiman-allegations-controversy-amanda-palmer-sandman-madoc.html

I believe the women.

* CW: Suicide. This is disgusting and horrible in a different way than the rapes. "Neil Gaiman’s Scientology Suicide Story:" https://www.mikerindersblog.org/neil-gaimans-scientology-suicide-story/

* "Protesters SCORCH United Healthcare Over MASSIVE 2024 Profits:"

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* "Her Mental Health Treatment Was Helping. That’s Why Insurance Cut Off Her Coverage.:" https://www.propublica.org/article/mental-health-insurance-denials-patient-progress

* "Viruses and neurodegeneration: a growing concern:" https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-024-06025-6

* "Long COVID: Urgent Findings, Including Brain Alterations, Call for Renewed Public Health Focus:" https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/long-covid-urgent-findings-including-brain-alterations-call-renewed-public-health-focus

* "Behavioral and Health Outcomes of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case-Control Study in Japanese Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises:" https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11725330/

* "ARS-CoV-2 replicates in the placenta after maternal infection during pregnancy:" https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1439181/full

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* "California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, what caused them, who is affected and more:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-wildfires-what-we-know-palisades-eaton-los-angeles-rcna188239

* "Newsom: LA wildfires could be the worst natural disaster in US history:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/12/newsom-wildfires-worst-natural-disaster-california-00197715

* "As wildfires rage, this conservative attacks sign language interpreters sharing news:" https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/california-wildfires-deaths-asl-chris-rufo-rcna187341

* "Republicans see the LA wildfires as an opportunity to punish California:" https://www.salon.com/2025/01/13/see-the-la-wildfires-as-an-opportunity-to-punish-california/

* "Debunking 5 claims about the California wildfires:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/debunking-5-claims-california-wildfires/story?id=117549503

* "Marjorie Taylor Greene Launches Unhinged Call for Officials to Manipulate the Weather to Stop L.A. Wildfires:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-launches-unhinged-call-for-officials-to-manipulate-the-weather-to-stop-la-wildfires/

Hint: Because they can't. we literally do not have technology that can do that.

* "LA Fires & Disinformation During Disaster:"

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* "Liberal Redneck - Stop Being Stupid About the LA Fires:"

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* "Evacuating from the Los Angeles fires? Here are some resources to help:" https://www.advocate.com/news/los-angeles-wildfires-evacuation-resources

* "Staying safe in a wildfire: What to pack and when to evacuate:" https://apnews.com/article/wildfiresafetyevacuationtipsmap-1b3bdaa19fc990bceacd60cf074eda41

* "Important Resources for Pet Owners Affected by the California Wildfires:" https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/important-resources-for-pet-owners-affected-by-the-california-wildfires-000111204.html

* "Pasadena Humane is seeking food, water bowls, crates, and more:" https://www.nbclosangeles.com/the-scene/pasadena-humane-donations-food-bowls-crates-blankets-eaton-fire/3598139/

* "Disaster Recovery Resources:" https://www.ms-demeanor.com/wiki/page_title/Disaster_Recovery_Resources

* Free documents for disaster preparedness and disaster claims: https://www.tumblr.com/abigail-pent/772232788373012480?source=share

* Black Phoenix alchemy Lab, which is L.A. based is doing a fundraiser for fire relief and has good links to organizations helping people on the ground there. "City of Angels Fundraiser:" https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-category/the-city-of-angels/

* "Where your donations to L.A. fire victims will do the most good:" https://www.advocate.com/news/donate-los-angeles-fire-victims

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* "‘It’s Total Chaos Internally at Meta Right Now’: Employees Protest Zuckerberg’s Anti LGBTQ Changes:" https://www.404media.co/its-total-chaos-internally-at-meta-right-now-employees-protest-zuckerbergs-anti-lgbtq-changes/

* "Now that Musk’s experiment has succeeded:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2021463.html

* "What is RedNote? The TikTok alternative that doesn't allow showing skin or LGBTQ+ content:" https://www.advocate.com/news/what-is-rednote-tiktok-alternate

* "P.E.I. homeowner captures sound and video of meteorite strike on camera, and scientists believe it's a first:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-charlottetown-meteorite-strike-first-audio-1.7430018?cmp=rss

* "The Beast of Gévaudan | Terror in the French Countryside | European History | Extra History:"

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* "The “Deviant” African Genders That Colonialism Condemned:" https://daily.jstor.org/the-deviant-african-genders-that-colonialism-condemned/

* "How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days:" https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/

* "A 1990s History of Food:"

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* She's been incredibly important to the queer Rights Movement for longer than I've been alive. "Trans Stonewall icon Miss Major launches fundraiser for nursing care:" https://www.advocate.com/news/miss-major-stonewall-fundraiser

* "Ed Sedarbaum, veteran Queens, N.Y., gay activist, has died at 78:" https://www.advocate.com/news/ed-sedarbaum-gay-activist-obituary

* If it isn't one thing, it's another. (This is from the beginning of last week)

I am getting an error on reboot that wants me to scan the laptop. The computer complete freezes at the hardrive immanent failure message. I've no clue how to get it fixed or even checked as all the places I know that used to do it died long ago. I can reboot and go the skip scan route, but it doesn't make immanent failure of my hard drive disappear just because I'm not looking at it.

Klaus laptop's been a bit buggy the last couple of weeks, so I've been quietly backing up a few things just in case.

I was given an ancient chromebook when Aidan laptop died, but I haven't been able to boot it up in a couple of months. I can try tinkering a little in case it's something obvious, but it was super limited and can't handle even a fraction of what I do in a night.

Most of the money I was gifted at the turning of the year is spent on glasses. (Medicare buys frames, but not things like bifocals, scratch resistance and ultra lights, which I need. They literally do not make my prescription without ultra-lights and bifocals are essential at this point.) I will not rehash the December emergency eye saga, but I needed the glasses and they are already ordered and half paid for. The rest is earmarked for things like the car tax, insurance auto-withdraw, bills. i have a little wiggle room but not much.

I have been promised housing tax money for next month. It will take most of what is coming. I would have to spend all of that and then some for a replacement lap top that could do the job. I really need something in Aidan laptop's class or better. Poor Klaus from the same company, but is smaller with less memory and older than Aidan was. He's been limping along since Tavy broke Aidan.

I don't see a solution other than continuing on until complete failure unless someone can suggest a solution to hard drive failure. I likely won't even be able to borrow Squirrel's computer as I did more than half a decade ago when... Was it Charles lap top or Rupert laptop that failed? Squirrel used to work nights, so I could use their computer in a limited way in their absence. They now work a lot less, days only. I'd only have little bits and pieces of time when they were out.

If I disappear nearly completely, this will be why.

News aggregation will likely come to a halt or near halt depending on available time as it did during the last outage. Tumblr has a bunch of preprogrammed things, and likely I can do some of that in a more limited fashion as happened last time. It may literally take a few days after I get knocked off for me to have enough access to tell you I'm mostly gone.

I'm sorry in advance.

You've all been superheroes supporting and literally rescuing me through all the emergencies of the last few years as more and more appliances die and i keep getting surprise body blows like the housing threat that happened this Autumn.

You all mean so much to me and it really does matter a lot how many of you play with my silly polls and find my news stuff useful.

If I do lose most of my internet access, I will miss you.

I'll see if I can manage some sort of bill juggling to make it work somehow.

If you have a line on a free or cheap decent second hand lap top, let me know.

* Update about two hours after I wrote this: Functionality is markedly declining very rapidly. I'm going to have to try to bill juggle. Again. Fuck. The last time this happened things went downhill fast once the box hit this point.

Update 1/15: I have checked in with the person who was covering housing tax and have talked to a friend who knows computers and we have found a good replacement. It will take a little while for money to move where it needs to go to make that happen. I am hoping Klaus laptop holds on long enough as everything will be better if he's still limping along when the replacement eventually arises. Whether there will be a posting outage or not depends a lot on the speed of Klaus' decline. Everything is slower and harder right now. (Just when we are in flurry of action items because Republicans. The worst time really, but here we go).

In related news, I am working on slowly wounding Klaus down. I did this before the last time it happened and it is always both sad and complicated.

* Friday I stayed up half the day because both my glasses and Goth Millennial's were ready, so we went just after open to claim them. OMG the new glasses are good.

I had thought I maybe missed a window on learning to use bifocals properly. I'd given up on trying to use them for reading, as it was easier top look over the glasses and hold whatever is was up to my face than to use them. I had basic problems like dialing a phone number because the position on my nose that let me read the numbers was completely incompatible with the phonebook or pill container I was trying to read numbers off and I didn't have a third hand to shift my glasses back and forth.

Part of why I have such a large out of pocket cost for glasses is I must have bifocals and Medicare never covered that at all. This year they are contributing enough to cover the low tech bifocals I have had for the last half a decade.

Which my optometrist does not make anymore because they are terrible. (Optometrist is one of two places making Medicare covered glasses that I've been able to find here. A decade ago it was for sure just one. Not my Optometrist. At that time my optometrist was the only one taking Medicare for exams. It was a Whole Drama. Before that you had to get cheap government frames so flimsy they would break in a year, but glasses replacements were only allowed every two years. This too was an Entire Drama every fucking time).

Anyway, the Medicare discount is nice as it means I no longer have to pay full cost for the bifocals I am required to buy. It was about 25 more for the second highest tech ones than the minimum quality they were willing to make there. (Best was much more expensive and well out of the price range). This is also about the price of scratch resistant coating, which I also need, or the blue light thingy that's supposed to reduce eye strain. This seemed a reasonable price to pay or significantly better lenses. As always the biggest cost was the ultra lights which I need because they will not grind a prescription this expensive without it, with my total share of the bifocals being a bit less expensive with the applied discount even though they are three levels out of four higher in quality than Old Style bifocals.

Jesus fuck are these better. They promised a much larger range of quality vision, which seemed sus but proved to be real. They correct the deterioration to my right eye caused by the Horrible Eye Emergency. (I must reiterate do not rub your eyes no matter how you are tempted because it turns out you can Literally GO BLIND). My right eye remains noticeable better than the left despite everything. We just narrowed the distance some.) (I am used to reading with my right eye alone as it's easier than trying to force them to focus together without glasses. My eyes still both work, but as a team? Not so much).

Anyway, these are intuitive and easy to see things with instead of it being a constant struggle for me to try to focus and refocus my eyes moving between distances, requiring me to move them up or down my nose for even small changes in distance, or just give up and take them off if I need to do close work or close reading. (You try mending close when while watching TV where you constantly have to move your glasses out of the way to work then resettle them and find the right distance if you want to see an action sequence. I ended up mostly giving up mending clothes as too hard between bifocals being useless and the arthritis hands.)

So it turned out I'm not so much bad at bifocals as they cheap bifocals I could just barely afford with a lot of sacrifice were really bad at bifocalling. I would have been better off with a set of far glasses and close glasses on chains around my neck like my grandmother used to do. These though? i had to call in subscriptions and I kept having to stop myself doing the one eye trick out of habit because I could see the writing on the bottle at phone level.

It is still infuriating that it took this long for Medicare to grudgingly cover bifocals at all, and they really really need to cover the whole cost plus the ultra lights a lot of older people need, but it's something that the glasses are this much better at nearly the same cost as the much worse ones I usually get.

Reminder: I bought the glasses before the computer started to die and it was to late not to continue.

Computer Update: There is hope of my getting a replacement computer next week. It will cost more than the Housing tax payment and the bill shuffling next month will be ugly (I don't see how I can do Housing tax AND pay the biggest bill both), but Aidan laptop is slowing to a crawl and it's getting harder and harder to accomplish things. The extra is coming out of sleep and it's wearing me down, down, down.

* "Jon Stewart Calls Out GOP Hypocrisy with L.A. Wildfire Disaster Relief | The Daily Show:"

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* CW: Vomit. "California, America Is With You | Stealing Greenland | A Medal For Pope Francis | Tennis Drama:"

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* "Michelle Obama To Skip Inauguration | Presidential Diet Coke | Bondi, Hegseth Grilled By Congress:"

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* "Farewell, Joe Biden | America's Tech Oligarchs | Trump's Terrifying Portrait | New Food Labels:"

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* "Pete Hegseth Grilled on Cheating, Corruption, & Women in Combat in Senate Hearing | The Daily Show:"

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* "Pete Hegseth: Overserved with Honor | The Daily Showography:"

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* "Stephen Colbert's Cyborgasm: Female Robot Companions | PETA's Robot Calf | 2025's Best Sex Toys:"

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* "Meanwhile... Chuck E. Cheese Returns | No Donuts At Dunkin' | Mosh Pit Diaper | 25-Cent Burgers:"

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* "Why So Many Black Characters Use Electricity:"

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* "ALOK - “Biology!", Jokes About Death & Humor as a Practice of Resistance | The Daily Show:"

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* "Elves, Orcs & Everything else: How Fantasy Creatures would do Archery:"

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* "True Facts: Rays, The Floppy Sombreros of the Sea:"

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* "True Facts: Bees That Play With Balls And Do Math!:"

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* "Mike Lindell Introduces The MyCross:"

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* "The Lawyers Who Will Get You Out of Trouble, Trump-Style | The Daily Show:"

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* "Sunday Sweets For Puzzle Lovers:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-for-puzzle-lovers-2025

* "Sunday Sweets Goes Geek - Again:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-goes-geek-again-2025

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "Evacuating from the Los Angeles fires? Here are some resources to help:" https://www.advocate.com/news/los-angeles-wildfires-evacuation-resources

* "Staying safe in a wildfire: What to pack and when to evacuate:" https://apnews.com/article/wildfiresafetyevacuationtipsmap-1b3bdaa19fc990bceacd60cf074eda41

* "Important Resources for Pet Owners Affected by the California Wildfires:" https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/important-resources-for-pet-owners-affected-by-the-california-wildfires-000111204.html

* "Pasadena Humane is seeking food, water bowls, crates, and more:" https://www.nbclosangeles.com/the-scene/pasadena-humane-donations-food-bowls-crates-blankets-eaton-fire/3598139/

* "Disaster Recovery Resources:" https://www.ms-demeanor.com/wiki/page_title/Disaster_Recovery_Resources

* Free documents for disaster preparedness and disaster claims: https://www.tumblr.com/abigail-pent/772232788373012480?source=share

* Black Phoenix alchemy Lab, which is L.A. based is doing a fundraiser for fire relief and has good links to organizations helping people on the ground there. "City of Angels Fundraiser:" https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-category/the-city-of-angels/

* "Where your donations to L.A. fire victims will do the most good:" https://www.advocate.com/news/donate-los-angeles-fire-victims

* "We have a right to safety, privacy, and protest. Say no to mask bans.:" https://www.stopmaskbans.com/

* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1

* "Here are 26 organizations fighting Donald Trump that you can donate to:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/anti-donald-trump-charities

* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

* "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund:" https://victoryfund.org/

* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery

* Disaster Preparedness stuff from the US Government: https://www.ready.gov/publications

* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share

* Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

* Avoiding Activist Burnout: https://www.tumblr.com/veluigi/771755723969478656/on-twitter-im-seeing-dozens-of-threads-from-black?source=share

( More Links Underneath: )